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Apink's Namjoo makes a powerful statement in solo debut 'Bird', calls producer Soyeon of (G)I-dle 'genius'

The song's teasers were built around themes like 'Reborn', 'Resist' and 'Restrained', all perfectly matching its title and therefore painting the imagery of a bird escaping cage and finding freedom

After much teasing, Apink’s Namjoo has finally dropped the dramatic video for her solo debut single, 'Bird'. Fans were already excited to hear what the idol had to offer outside of her group's music, but the excitement reached a fever pitch when it was revealed that she collaborated with (G)I-dle's Soyeon on the track. Soyeon is fast becoming one of the most sought-after producers and songwriters in the industry, and having already earned comparisons to Big Bang's G-Dragon, there's really no telling what heights she will soar to next.

Kim Nam-joo originally debuted as part of the then-seven-member group Apink in 2011 with the EP 'Seven Springs of Apink' and its lead single 'Mollayo'. The album did well, peaking at number six on the Gaon chart, and overall, the release helped put Apink on everyone's radar as the newest girl group on the scene. Their fresh, cute concept aligned perfectly with the popular image for girl groups at the time, so they were naturally primed for success and developed a following almost instantly. With their third EP, 2013'2 'Secret Garden', the group achieved new heights and a level of success they hadn't seen before. The release earned them several awards and yielded their highest-charting single, the title track 'NoNoNo, which went on to peak at number two on Billboard's K-Pop Hot 100. Despite their successful run, Namjoo is still only the third member to receive a solo debut, following Jung Eun Ji and Hayoung.

After sharing a fresh teaser earlier in the day, the video for 'Bird' dropped to virtual applause. The teasers were built around themes like 'Reborn', 'Resist' and 'Restrained', all perfectly matching the song's title and therefore painting the imagery of a bird escaping its cage and finding freedom. Both the song and its music video have clearly lived up to those expectations, earning both Namjoo and Soyeon high praise. One fan stated, "NAMJOO. SHE IS FLYING. BIRD IS ABSOLUTE."

Aside from teasers, Namjoo also shared a rather unusual reaction video for her music video: one featuring fellow Apink members Chorong and Hayoung in which the music video was edited to hide spoilers and the audio was dubbed over to prevent the song from leaking. The members noted that Namjoo, usually the more withdrawn of the group on-stage, looked fierce as she occupied the central role in her solo debut despite it being difficult for her to make that transition. Despite her apprehensions, however, Namjoo owned her solo spot. Fans are already blown away by the idol's confidence and visuals in the video for 'Bird'. One fan shared, "THIS LOOK RIGHT HERE I DONT THINK YOU UNDERSTAND IM OBSESSED." Another said, "the queen walking up to her throne by stepping on men I think [crown]."

Another fan, quoting Namjoo, shared, "Namjoo said she liked it when fans called her 'concept craftsman'. She is not afraid of doing various concepts in the future. She is not afraid because she was born to win." One fan shared another quote from Namjoo about her experiences working with Soyeon. She stated, "You can explain everything about Soyeon with her title as a genius. I saw Soyeon’s producing abilities first on ‘Queendom.’ Even though she’s young, she has immense skills."

When you pair a 'concept craftsman' with a 'genius producer', it's really hard to go wrong. Check out the video for Namjoo's 'Bird' below.